


Chasm of Danger

by Blueskydancers



Series: Secrets and Consequences [15]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings RPF, The Professionals
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-05 08:05:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5367722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueskydancers/pseuds/Blueskydancers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Halloween again and the ghost to due to reappear but despite this life goes on and Sean and Orlando arrange to meet a prospective client at Cheddar Gorge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story in the saga takes place on 31st October 1984 and 1st November 1984

  
  


Sean was already waiting outside in the car when the phone began to ring. Throwing his jacket over the back of the kitchen chair, Lan picked it up and snapped into the mouthpiece, “Bloom.”

He heard a familiar chuckle and then, “Sounds like you got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“Bodie, you wanker, I was just on my way out the door. We’re running late for a meeting and it’s pissing down, so the roads will be awful.”

“Meeting? Who with?”

“Why the sudden interest?”

“You know why. Just humour me, Lan.”

“It’s a possible client. He’s a friend of Daphne’s.” Lan answered the question reluctantly; if Bodie’s interest was solely because it was Halloween, Lan was going to kick his arse for him.

“Oh, okay. Doyle wanted me to let you know that we’re aiming to be down your way as early as we can today, but it’s about a hundred miles so we might not be there until about seven.”

Automatically, Lan glanced at the clock. Shit! It was nearly half ten and, it was at least forty minutes to Cheddar. They were definitely going to be late for their eleven o’clock meeting. “No problem. Look, I’ve got to go or Sean will drive too fast and get nicked for speeding. You know how pissed he’ll be if that happens because the coppers down here all know us and would love to be able to take the ex-Met queers down a peg or two.”

There was a loud snigger from Bodie before he said, “Okay. Get off then and we’ll see you both later. We still okay to stay at your place?”

“Of course you are, you numpty.”

“Numpty? Sounds like you’re fitting in with the other country dwellers then.”

“Piss off, Bodie.”

“Bye, Lando.” 

He put the phone down quickly, ignoring Bodie’s laughter but even so, he found himself smiling as he made his way out to the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they drove the last mile or so along the gorge Lan found himself craning his neck to try to fully appreciate the height of the cliffs they were travelling between. It wasn’t easy though, the driving rain and low cloud made seeing anything difficult. He turned to Sean, who was hunched over the steering wheel, peering through the cascade of water hitting the windscreen. “I’ve heard of Cheddar Gorge of course, but didn’t realise it looked like this. It’s pretty impressive from what I can see.”

“I’m not looking. The bloody rain is making it impossible to take my eyes off the road for more than a second. Whose sodding idea was it to meet here anyway?” 

Sean sounded a bit ratty and Lan didn’t blame him; he was glad that he hadn’t volunteered to drive this morning. “You know as well as I do that it was the client. He said he didn’t want us to be seen around the warehouse.”

“It had better be worth it.”

“I’m sure it will be. A bit more work won’t go amiss.” Lan reached over and rested his hand on Sean’s thigh for a brief moment. “Tell you what, I’ll drive home and you can do the sightseeing then.”

“That’d be great; my head is pounding from concentrating so hard.”

“Maybe you need glasses? You ought to get your eyes tested now that you’re getting older.” Lan smiled despite knowing that Sean wouldn’t take his eyes off the road long enough to see his expression.

“Old? I’ll give you old. Who was it screwing you into the mattress last night?”

Lan shifted in his seat, reminded of their activities the night before. Sean had let him ride at first, before rolling them both over so that he could pound into him. It had been spectacular and messy, and they’d ended up needing a shower before they could even try to go to sleep. “I’m not going to forget that in a hurry and neither is my arse.”

Further up the hill, Lan spotted the teashop where they were supposed to meet their prospective client. A little way past it, the tourist shops and cafes ended and there was a car park marked out on the verge at the side of the road. Sean turned the wheel and drove straight into a parking space, sighing in relief.

Lan looked at his watch before reaching over into the back seat and picking up their jackets. He passed Sean’s over to him. “Jesus, it’s still raining like mad out there, hopefully Stephens has been delayed too. It would look really unprofessional for him to get there before us.”

“Yeah, I know. Did you see the place on the way up the gorge?” Sean asked.

“It’s just back behind that last bend in the road. It looked empty but who’d be out in this weather if they didn’t need to?”

They got out of the car and pulling their jackets more firmly around themselves, jogged down the hill to the teashop. When they opened the door, the first thing Lan saw was a brightly burning log fire and around a dozen small tables covered in snowy white linen cloths. The place was empty which meant that they had arrived before their contact. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Taking off their jackets and hanging them on a nearby coat stand, they found seats at one of the tables and almost immediately a small, white haired woman appeared behind the serving counter that was groaning under the weight of homemade cakes. Lan’s stomach began rumbling almost immediately. Their nocturnal activities had meant they’d slept late that morning and he’d only had time for a piece of toast before they’d left home. He was definitely going to make up for that with at least one slice of cake.

The woman took their order for a pot of tea for two with carrot cake for Sean and a slice of chocolate cake for Lan. She soon returned with a loaded tray, placing the teapot, milk and sugar carefully on the table. 

They were just finishing their first cups of tea when the bell over the door rang and a man entered the teashop. He was wearing a dark raincoat over his suit and carrying an umbrella. 

“This must be him. Bugger, it looks like we should’ve dressed a bit more formally,” Sean muttered looking down at his comfortable jeans and sweatshirt. Lan nodded in agreement, there was no doubt in his mind that this was the client.

The new arrival looked them over as though trying to decide if they were the men he was due to meet. Finally, he walked a bit hesitantly over to their table and said, “Sean and Orlando? I’m so sorry I’m late.”

They both stood automatically and Sean said, “Yeah, that’s us. Have a seat and I’ll get some more drinks. Do you want any cake?”

“Just the tea please.”

Edward Stephens was somewhere in between them in age, Lan knew, but he looked older than Sean. His light brown hair was cut short and brushed back to cover a thinning spot. His formal clothing made him stick out like a sore thumb. If the teashop had been busier it would have been obvious to any observer that the three of them weren’t meeting here to admire the scenery.

While Sean went over to the counter and spoke to the white haired woman, Stephens sat and began to polish the rain off his glasses with his handkerchief.

Sean came back to the table with a slice of fruit cake and a scone with clotted cream which he put down on the table with the other plates. “There you go, Lan. The fruit cake looked really good too, so I’m going to try some of that.”

At Stephens’ look of amazement, Sean said defensively, “We didn’t get much time for breakfast this morning.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to appear critical. If the truth be told I’m jealous. I love homemade cake.” He patted his rounded middle. “I find it too easy to put on weight and with all the entertaining I have to do for business now, cake would be too much.”

Giving Sean a grin, Lan looked back at Stephens. “So Mr Stephens-” 

“Please call me Edward.”

“Okay, Edward, Daphne said you wanted to meet us because of a problem you have at work. She said you needed our help. How about you tell us exactly what the problem is and then we can try to work out the best way to help you?”

It took a while to get Stephens to open up but they were both old hands at getting reluctant interviewees to talk and very soon he was telling them everything. 

“My father died when I was in my mid-twenties and it was expected that one of us would take over the family business. I wasn’t keen as I’d been to art school and that was my passion but fortunately, Graham, my older brother, was more than happy to take over. I sold enough work to keep my family comfortable so was expecting that to continue and it would have, if Graham hadn’t been killed in a car accident.”

Sean said, “I’m sorry to ask this but I feel that I have to. Are you sure your brother’s death was an accident?”

“Absolutely. The police looked into it and it was a motorway pile up, sixteen cars were involved. A lorry driver pulled off the hard shoulder onto the main carriageway without looking, cars swerved out of the way and in moments it was carnage. Seven people died along with Graham.”

“Okay.” Lan nodded. “What happened then?”

“I took over the business about a year ago and have just had the report from the accountant that we are barely breaking even. We’ve always been profitable and I couldn’t understand what had gone wrong so I did a bit of digging around and have come to the conclusion that wine is being stolen from the warehouse.”

“So you want us to find out who is taking the stock and then what?” Sean questioned.

“I’ve got fifteen people working for me and I think there are only a couple of bad apples. If we can stop the losses then I’m sure the business will become profitable again. Wine consumption in the UK is rising every year and we supply some very nice vintages to some very influential clients.”

Stephens passed over copies of the personnel files on the staff. “I’ve marked the files of those who have access to the warehouse.”

“Can’t you take the other keys back and make yourself the only key holder?” Lan offered. “That should sort the problem out.”

Stephens fiddled with the handle on his cup. “Not really, we need people in the warehouse between six am and ten pm, seven days a week. I couldn’t do those hours; at least not for very long.”

“Why not just sell up?” Sean suggested.

Stephens drained his tea cup before answering. “My mother has been in a care home for the past five years and is dependent on her income from the business to pay for her fees. If I attempt to sell at the moment, one look at the accounts would show that we were not profitable and I’d barely get half of what it’s worth. We certainly wouldn’t get enough to buy an annuity to cover Mother’s fees.”

Lan thought about Stephens’ comments. “You think this might be a deliberate ploy to get you to sell up cheaply?”

Stephens gave that some thought before replying. “I don’t think so. There haven’t been any offers that I’ve turned down and Graham never mentioned anything along those lines.”

Sean shrugged. “It doesn’t change our plans. We’ll take a look around, do a bit of digging and see what we can come up with. It might be that whoever is doing the thieving is stupid and has splashed out on a big house extension or a flashy new car. That way we’ll have a good idea who we need to keep an eye on and it should be easy to get some proof. If that’s not the case, we’ll dig a bit deeper and see what we can find out.”

“Very good. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Not at the moment.”

“When will I hear from you again, then?”

Lan answered that question. “It’s Wednesday today so the middle of next week should give us enough time to see what we’re up against. We’ll give you a weekly report by telephone and arrange to meet again when we actually find something.”

“That’s fine. I’m supposed to be off to watch my youngest son play rugby for his school this weekend, if this bloody rain ever gives up.”

“Yeah, it feels like it’s been raining for weeks,” Sean agreed.

“We’re generally lucky in this part of the world. The ground is higher for a start but the underlying limestone drains the water away easily so the pitch should be okay.” While he was talking Stephens stood and put on his coat. They stood also and they all shook hands. “Right’o, I’ll wait to hear from you. I can’t tell you what a weight off my mind it is, knowing you’re looking into this. I’m so glad I mentioned the problem to Daphne.”

Once Stephens had left, they sat back down and Sean went over and ordered another pot of tea. When he came back he said, “So what did you think of him?”

“He seemed nice enough if a little bit too trusting to run a business.”

“Yeah well, he wasn’t supposed to be running it. I guess that makes a difference.”

Being the only customers meant the service was fast and their new pot of tea arrived almost at once. 

Sean poured two cups, took a sip and put the cup back down. “So what do you fancy doing this afternoon? It’s too late to get anything much else done today, especially with Bodie and Doyle arriving later. Shall I give Daphne a call and tell her we’re taking the rest of the day off?”

They’d been working hard since they’d started the new venture and it seemed to be paying off. Daphne had been with them for nearly a month and already they were able to spend more time out of the office, building up a healthy client list. “Yeah, why not? You fancy having a look around while we’re here?”

“Okay, at least it will be dry in the caves.” Sean looked over his shoulder and spotted a sign for a pay phone. Fishing in his pocket for change he went over to make the call.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean and Lan explore the caves and it's still raining

It was still chucking it down so they hurried across the narrow road that ran through the gorge to the main entrance to Gough’s cave. The information outside said that this was the most extensive of the explored caves in the area but that they could get a combined ticket that would give them entry to all three of the caves and the museum. Sean bought those while Lan looked at the map and decided the order they should view the sights.

When Sean came back Lan said, “Okay, we need to go down the hill a bit to see Cox’s Cave –“

“Cocks?” Sean managed, and then started laughing.

“No, you idiot, Cox’s. cee oh ex apostrophe esss. You’ve got a bloody one track mind, Bean.”

Giggling like a pair of naughty schoolboys, in spite of the downpour, they headed down the hill in the direction that Lan had indicated.

The first cave wasn’t very large and it didn’t take long to follow the signs around and look at the various features. As far as Sean was concerned the only part he got really enthusiastic about was when Lan pulled him into a dark corner of the cave and kissed him. If you’d seen one rock formation you’d seen them all, to his way of thinking, but kissing or being kissed by Lan was an experience he’d never grow tired of.

After about fifteen minutes more of wandering around the small cave, they emerged once again into the dull daylight. It was raining even more heavily and water was cascading down the road, in some places it was six inches deep and washing over the kerbstones.

They spent nearly an hour in the museum, looking at various prehistoric artefacts and were the only viewers of a demonstration of flint napping, before they headed back up the hill towards Gough’s Cave, which was supposed to be a lot more impressive according to the now soggy leaflet that Lan waved at Sean. 

They walked down the few concrete steps that led to the entrance and, after showing their tickets, they were able to go through the turnstile and down the smooth slope that led inside. The light from outside faded quickly as soon as they were fully underground. Once more they were the only ones there. 

Sean unzipped his jacket as it was a lot warmer inside than it had been outside in the downpour. The path led downhill following the former route of the Cheddar Yeo, which was apparently the largest underground river in Britain, according to the signs. As they moved further into the network of tunnels, the path began to climb up steps which had been cut into the rock floor.

Lan shivered and said, “I’ve never fancied caving as a sport. All that squeezing into tight, dark spaces.”

Sean had no idea why his mind was set on smut so he tried not to react to Lan’s innocently meant comment. But it was no use; an attack of laughter robbed him of any chance to answer.

“Christ, Sean, you’ve really got a one track mind today.”

Unable to speak, Sean caught Lan’s hand and pulled him into a hug, taking a quick glance around beforehand to make sure there was no one else around to see. They might be open about their relationship among friends but they were still incredibly careful about open displays of affection in public.

When Sean released Lan he said, “I’m sorry. Last night was amazing which doesn’t help keep my dick under control. Then, knowing what is likely to happen today is making me nervous and my mind reacts with daft thoughts. Forgive me?”

“You know I do.”

They walked further into the cave, following the path. Higher up on their left was a strange looking metal cage on a raised platform. The sign claimed that cheddar cheese had been matured in this place for hundreds of years. 

Engrossed in reading one of the information signs Sean began to feel uneasy. Looking over at Lan to see if he was similarly affected, Sean spotted the small signs of his increasing nervousness. The way he rolled his shoulders to release the tension in his neck, the constant shifting of position and his slightly heavier breathing. Sean couldn’t decide if his own anxiety was due to the knowledge that the ghost who had attacked Lan at Halloween for the past four years was bound to put in another appearance or merely something to do with their surroundings.

“Are you okay?” Sean had to ask.

“Just feeling a bit tense. I’ll admit the waiting is getting to me too.”

“You think he’s going to make another attempt to kill you tonight?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m hoping he doesn’t and that our moving across the country means he’s lost track of me but somehow I don’t think that’s likely.”

Sean shook his head. “Me either.”

“I hate feeling so helpless. I’ve tried to find out more about him and why he’s after me but everything I’ve tried has hit a dead end. I hate having to trust to luck that somehow I’ll survive Halloween. He’s getting stronger every year and I wonder how much longer we’re going to be able to beat him.”

Lan’s words echoed how he was feeling so rather than say anything, Sean simply gathered him close and held him. He wanted to memorise how Lan felt in his arms, the sound of his breathing and his familiar scent. They’d been together for more than four years and they were the best times of Sean’s life. Before Lan he’d been existing, not living. Sean put his mouth close to Lan’s ear and said, “I can’t bear the thought of losing you. It would be the end for me too you know.”

Lan was the one to pull back first. He smiled at Sean as he pushed his hair back and out of his eyes. “It’s going to be okay. Bodie and Doyle are going to be there to help. We’ll be fine,” he said defiantly.

Following on with the fiction that they could somehow take the initiative to do anything to protect themselves against their supernatural enemy, Sean nodded. “’Course we will. No one living or dead would be stupid enough to take on the Bisto Kids.”

As they started walking again, Lan laughed. Admittedly his laugh was a bit strained but at least he was attempting to keep up the fiction of being unconcerned. 

“Bisto Kids? Where did they get that nickname?”

“I think it was something their boss, Cowley, came up with. Said they reminded him of the characters in the gravy advert. One sniff of a problem and they were all over it.”

They had just started up a slight incline and into a much narrower part of the cave, when every light in the place went out, plunging them into absolute darkness. Sean could see bugger all, so when something touched his arm, he jumped and flailed a bit. “Lan?”

“Who else do you think it might be, Sean?”

“Don’t be a smart-arsed wanker. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Sean licked suddenly dry lips and took a firm hold on Lan’s hand, feeling around in his pocket with the other hand. “Jesus, I’ve never been so pissed that I gave up smoking. I’ve not even got a match on me.”

“Okay, maybe if we wait for a bit, our eyes will get used to the dark and we’ll be able to see the way out.”

“It’s pitch black in here, Lan, I’m not holding my breath that’s going to be possible. I think we’re going to need to start moving on our own.”

“Shit, Sean, the path’s been so complicated we’re never going to find our way out of here.” He laughed without humour. “Even if we’d left a breadcrumb trail it wouldn’t help.”

“Breadcrumbs? Jesus Lan, how can you talk crap at a time like this?” 

“It beats feeling helpless,” Lan said defensively.

Joining in with Lan’s attempt to lighten their mood Sean said, “In that case, I’m Hansel, no way am I being the girl. I’m just not pretty enough.” Sean looked around at the darkness that seemed to be pressing right against his eyeballs. “We’re sitting targets here, Lan.”

“I know that but I’m trying not to think about it. They must know there are people trapped. I reckon they’ll send someone in to get us out.”

Sean recognised the sense in Lan’s words but it still didn’t fill him with any sort of reassurance. The ghost could decide to strike at any time and blinded by the darkness they would be completely helpless.

Lan’s grip on his hand tightened suddenly. “Look, Sean, I think my eyes are adjusting. Doesn’t it look a bit lighter in that direction?”

“If I could see where you were fucking pointing it might help,” Sean snapped the tension once again getting the better of him.

Lan’s hand slid up his arm, across his shoulder to the side of his face and then he pulled Sean’s head round until it was pointing in the right direction.

“There.”

Sean considered for a moment that the light might indicate danger but the ghost, if it was anything to do with him, was going to be much more at home in these conditions and they would still be at a disadvantage. “Yeah, looks like it is. Let’s head in that direction.”

Still holding hands, they headed slowly towards the faint light, sliding their feet along the floor to help them avoid any obstacles. Very soon the light began to grow brighter. Sean’s first response was to push Lan behind him just in case.

After a few moments, he was elated to see a man, wearing a hard hat with a lamp on front, walking towards them. The beam of the lamp wavered erratically with each step their rescuer took.

When he caught sight of them he called out, “Hey, I’m glad I found you.”

“So are we,” Lan responded. “What happened to the lights?”

Gesturing that they should follow him, their guide headed back into the gloom. “The rain got into the fuse box and blew everything.”

Sean somehow refrained from commenting on the word blew. Lan already thought he was sex mad, which, in his opinion, was like a pot calling the kettle black, but it was not something their rescuer needed to hear.

Their guide stopped suddenly. “Sorry, I was so busy trying to find you both that I forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Jim, I’m part of the cave rescue team.”

“You got here quickly; the lights were only out for a couple of minutes,” Lan said, impressed.

Jim laughed. “Sorry to disappoint but I work at the place just next door that arranges caving trips for the visitors. I was already dressed so all I had to do was get into my boots and pick up a hard hat and a light when they told me there were two visitors trapped inside.”

“So we’re the only ones here?”

“Luckily.” They started down a slope and Jim turned to them. “Your feet might get a bit wet here. The river’s started to flood and the floor’s under water.”

“Flood? How deep?” Sean asked with concern.

“Not too bad yet, maybe eighteen inches. It’s nothing to worry about it happens a couple of times a year during heavy rain. I’ve never seen it rise this fast before but the water usually goes down within forty eight hours. The floods in sixty-eight were the worst I’ve seen. It took more than three days to dry out then.”

Sure enough, a few feet further on the path dipped down and disappeared into a large puddle which seemed to extend for around ten feet. Jim paid it no attention and strode forward.

Sean hesitated on the edge of the water trying to peer into it in the dim light. Jim saw him and grinned at him from the middle of the water. “I could carry you if you want to avoid getting your feet wet.”

“Don’t be daft. I’m fine.” With a shrug, Sean stepped into the floodwater.

The cold took his breath away and he swore when he realised he was going to have to go home in just his socks because his trainers were never going to dry in time. Mind you the bottoms of his jeans were now soaking too. The journey home was going to be uncomfortable no matter what they did.

Lan didn’t say anything, just followed on behind, hanging onto the back of Sean’s jacket to avoid losing touch with him and the man with the light.

“Nearly there,” Jim said encouragingly.

In no time Sean could see very murky daylight, coming in at the mouth of the cave. As they got closer, Sean saw with horror that water was now running down the slope towards them from outside.

“What’s going on? Where’s that water coming from.” Lan spoke from behind him.

“The road is flooded with water is pouring down the hill. It must have come over the kerb and be running down through the entrance. This isn’t something I’ve ever seen before!” Jim said. “We should get outside quickly, to be on the safe side.”

Sean saw the sense in that; water was rising behind them and now coming at them from in front. They were lucky that Jim had found them so quickly because from the amount of water rushing over the cave floor, it looked like they could easily have been trapped.

Once through the exit gate, the full extent of the problem was apparent. Water was running down the steps that led to the entrance like a waterfall. In fact there was so much water that Sean wasn’t sure they would be able to walk up the steps, let alone get back to their car.

Jim took one look and said, “I think we ought to go upstairs to the café and wait there, the level will drop quickly as soon as it stops raining.”

Sean looked at the dull, leaden sky and wanted to point out that it didn’t look like that was going to happen any time soon. He had just turned to check that Lan was okay with the plan when, with a sound like a clap of thunder, a wall of water exploded out of the cave entrance. They were standing directly in its path and stood no chance of avoiding the rush of water which picked them up and hurled them out into the middle of the road.

Making a frantic grab for Lan, Sean held onto him as they landed hard on the tarmac. The water was only about a twelve inches deep, so they were able to struggle back to their feet. But before they could get back to the safety of the steps where Jim was hanging onto the rail for dear life, a huge tidal wave of water surged towards them from around the bend in the road. There was no time to escape it and they were once more picked up and swept along helplessly. 

Fighting against the current that seemed to be trying to force Lan away from him, Sean tried to struggle out of the flow and make his way to the side of the gorge, hoping that he could grab onto some rocky outcrop to stop their precipitous passage.

The water swirled wildly as it passed the sides and Sean was flung against the rock wall. He clung onto Lan with strength borne out of desperation until he was slammed up against the gorge wall for a second time. His arm took the full force of the impact and even above the sound of the rushing water, he heard the bones snap. At once his grip failed and Lan was carried away from him.

Without a moment's thought for his own safety, Sean threw himself back into the midst of the torrent and started swimming one handed after Lan. The river was like a living thing, hurling him against rocks and then dragging him down so that his body scraped along the tarmac road surface that formed the bottom of the temporary watercourse. He kept struggling, convinced he was Lan’s only hope but, in the end, the abuse he was suffering was too much. He finally came to rest, bloodied and bruised a mile downstream from the cave mouth where the gorge began to open out and the water flow eased.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean and Lan are rescued from the floodwater but events spiral out of control and it appears that Lan is going to face his midnight visitor alone

He was cold, so cold and he didn’t know why. He tried to roll over but there were hands holding him still and he couldn’t move his arm. He struggled weakly. Shit! He couldn’t breathe, he wanted to cough and get rid of the water in his lungs. Why wouldn’t they let him? Suddenly, he was rolled onto his uninjured side and his breathing immediately became easier. He started coughing and retched dryly for several minutes before he had himself under control.

Ignoring the agony from his injured arm he sat up and looked around wildly. “Lan?” He gasped, “Where is he? I have to find him.”

The man squatting in front of him pulled a blanket more securely around his shoulders and said, “Lan? Who’s Lan?”

Sean groaned, from pain and desperation. “My partner, he’s my partner. We were together when the water hit us. I hurt my arm and couldn’t hold onto him. I have to find him.” 

Sean tried to get up but the man pushed him back onto his arse. “Sit down before you fall down.” He gave Sean a concerned look. “You’re in Cheddar School hall. We’re using it as a temporary medical centre as well as a shelter. There are a lot of other people here who’ve been caught up in the floods. Fortunately none of them have been hurt, but their homes are flooded. Your arm’s broken so you need to stay put until we can get you off to hospital to get it set. I’ll make sure they’re looking for your friend and as soon as I get any information I’ll come back and tell you. Stay put, at least until we’ve got you into some dry clothes, or I’ll get someone to come and sit on you.”

It was only then that Sean realised his left arm was immobilised by a sling. Taken aback by the man’s attitude, he decided to bide his time. He’d give them a few minutes while he got his head together. Then, if they hadn’t come up with any information about Lan, he would just have to sneak off and find out for himself. Maybe though, with the way his head was spinning, he needed to rest up a bit first.

Long before Sean was up to moving, the man came back. “Are you Sean?”

“Yeah. That’s me. Have you found Lan? Where is he?”

“It’s okay, I’ve just heard over the radio that they’ve found someone further down the hill. He made as much fuss as you, shouting out that he had to find Sean. Said his name was Orlando, I figured that could be shortened to Lan. So I assumed he was the one you were panicking about. I’ve also let Jim at the caving centre know you’re both okay. He was shouting my ear off about two men being swept down the gorge by the flood.”

Sean let out the breath he hasn’t been aware he was holding. “Thanks. Is Lan okay? Can I go to him?”

“He’s fine. Just a bit battered and bruised. In fact from the sound of it he’s better off than you.” 

“Good.” Sean started to relax and then he remembered what day it was and instantly went back on the alert. No matter how bad he felt, he still had to look after Lan, he couldn’t risk giving the ghost a free shot at him. “How long until I can see him?”

“They are bringing him here now. It should only take a few minutes but you’re going to need to be patient. We’re trying to work out the best way to get you off to hospital but the roads are blocked with floodwater. We’re probably going to have to get a rescue helicopter in to get you back to Bristol Royal Infirmary so that they can set your arm.”

Fortunately, it was only a few minutes later that Lan came through the hall doorway, so Sean hadn’t had time to get worked up again. Lan had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and there was a man in caving gear at his side, supporting him. As soon as he got through the doorway he began scanning the room.

“Lan!” Sean shouted. 

“Sean!” 

Lan stumbled over to him, almost falling onto the floor at his side. Fortunately, his escort had his wits about him and he caught Lan before his legs gave way and lowered him to sit next to Sean. He then left them alone.

Grabbing Sean’s good hand, Lan pulled him close and brushed a kiss against his cheek. He seemed to realise almost immediately that they were in a room full of people and sat back but he didn’t let go of Sean’s hand.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong with your arm?”

“I'm sorry I couldn't hold onto you. Are you hurt?” Ignoring Lan’s question about his arm, Sean studied his lover’s face and looked carefully at the bruises marring his features. 

Lan shifted restlessly. “I’m fine, really. Just a bit battered. How did you hurt your arm?”

“I got thrown against some rocks; that’s when I had to let go of you. The doctor here thinks it’s broken.”

“Shit! Does it hurt?” Before Sean could respond, Lan stopped himself. “Sorry stupid question. It must hurt like a bugger.”

“Yeah, it does. But it doesn’t matter, what does matter is that I can’t help protect you like this. You’re already weak from being half drowned and I’m next to useless.” 

“It’ll be okay.” 

Sean could tell Lan was trying to reassure him but it was all bravado. Bodie and Doyle would never be able to get through the flood. Lan was going to have to face the ghost alone this year and there was nothing he could do about it.

“No, it’s not okay. I’ve let you down.” He wondered idly if it was worry making his heart race so hard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Please, Sean, don’t worry about it. I’m sure the flood was his fault and that he won’t try anything else later.”

Sean’s breathing was loud and uneven when he replied, “I should still be with you. Just in case.”

As the colour leached slowly from Sean’s face Lan's concern increased. He understood Sean was hurting, fuck, he'd broken his own arm before so he knew first hand what it felt like, but this reaction seemed too severe.

“What’s wrong, Sean?” He suspected that Sean would lie to him to downplay the extent of his injuries.

“Don’t know. My arm’s really hurting, it feels sort of tingly.”

That rang alarm bells for Lan. He’d done the basic medical courses that were part of his police training and didn’t like the sound of Sean’s symptoms at all.

“How about pains in your chest?”

Sean looked at him vaguely. “What?”

“Chest pain? Does your chest hurt?”

With a slight shake of his head Sean said, “No, not hurt. It’s a bit difficult to breathe though. Feels like something’s pressing down on me.”

As Lan watched, Sean turned a grey-white colour, his eyes closed and he slumped down against the wall. Jumping quickly to his feet, Lan swayed until he could get his balance. Spotting the doctor who had pointed out Sean when he arrived Lan shouted at him. “Help me! I think Sean’s having a heart attack!”

Everything happened very quickly from that point on. The doctor took one look at Sean and called over reinforcements. In moments, Lan had been pushed away and Sean was surrounded by medical personnel. While Lan watched they injected something into his leg and one of them held an oxygen mask over his face. A whispered conversation between the original doctor and a new arrival meant that Sean was suddenly lifted onto a stretcher and strapped down before being whisked away. Lan tried to follow them but a nurse intercepted him.

“It’s okay, the helicopter has arrived and they’re taking him to the hospital.”

Struggling with her, Lan shouted, “But I have to go with him. I need to be there.”

Without Lan realising it, she had manoeuvred him out of the main part of the hall and into a small alcove containing gym equipment. Sitting him down on a wooden bench, she spoke calmly. “The roads are blocked and there isn’t the room in the helicopter for you and the doctor and it’s better if the doctor goes with him. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, I do, but I need to be there. Just-” his voice broke, “Just in case.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s got an expert with him and the helicopter means that they can be at the hospital in less than five minutes. He’s getting the best care. He’ll be fine.” With a final pat on his hand the nurse moved away.

Lan covered his face with his hands and tried unsuccessfully to hold back his tears. Crying wasn’t something he’d done in a long while but right now, given the events of the past hour, it was all too much. He knew for sure that, if the worst were to happen and Sean died, then he would welcome the reappearance of the ghost with open arms. He’d face him alone and then, if the ghost did kill him and Sean survived, he would be safe in the future. That was something Lan could hold on to.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, hiding his face and trying to convince himself that Sean was going to be fine. When he finally changed position, his arms ached from their lack of movement. It was dark outside but it had been as black as night during the storm that afternoon. His watch had stopped working too so he had no clue how long it was since Sean had been taken away. His instincts told him that the longer he had to wait the worse the news was likely to be.

From his restricted vantage point, Lan could see the staff continuing to bustle around, looking after people who were brought into the school for shelter. Bored with sitting still, he stood and walked over to the entrance of the alcove. The clock at the front of the hall told him it was nearly eight which meant he still had four hours to kill. He might have told Sean that he thought the ghost was finished with him for this year but he didn’t believe that. 

All through the nightmarish journey down the gorge, Lan had been aware of the ghost’s voice in his head promising Lan he would drown and would therefore suffer some small part of the agony the ghost’s family had experienced.

The hall was now nearly full and he realised with alarm that when the ghost made a second attempt on his life today, others would be hurt if he was still here. There was no question, he had to make sure he was out of the hall by midnight.

With no news about Sean, he finally cornered the nurse who had promised to keep him updated hours before. Even though he knew that the last thing the medical staff needed, he had to find out what was going on.

“Have you heard anything about Sean?”

She stared at him blankly for several seconds before saying, “I’ve not had any information yet.” It sounded like a lie to his ears.

“What do you mean no information? Why haven’t you heard from them?” He could hear his voice rising and made a real effort to control his agitation but it was a losing battle. “Please, I need to know how he is.” He found himself begging.

She came over and put her hand on his arm. “Look I’m sure no news is good news. It must be chaotic at the hospital. I’m sure they will contact us when they have something to tell us. Why don’t you go and sit down and I’ll get you some tea.”

Resisting the urge to tell her what she could do with her bloody tea, Lan went over to an empty seat and sat down. No news wasn’t good news, in his experience. No news meant that something bad had happened and they were trying to work out the best way to break it to him.

Aches and pains from his rough ride down the gorge were making themselves known and he wondered if he should ask for some painkillers. He let the thought slide; no amount of aspirin could take away the pain in his heart at that moment.

The promised tea arrived and he sipped at the mug dispiritedly. Tea, it was the English panacea for everything. What he needed right now was a large Scotch and then another one; anything to deaden his senses so he didn’t feel Sean’s absence so keenly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’d long since finished the tea and had briefly contemplated collecting a sandwich from the temporary catering centre that had been set up in the school dining room but his stomach had rebelled at the idea. So instead he started pacing aimlessly, trying to control his worries for Sean and his inclination to leave the building. Leaving would mean that everyone inside would be kept safe from the ghost, should he appear, but it would also mean they wouldn’t know how to find him to pass on any information about Sean should it arrive.

As soon as he got up a family group moved over into the alcove with the gym equipment. The hall was getting crowded and he supposed that space was at a premium. He shrugged; a family needed the private space more than he did. Seeing the young children with them made him even more determined that he would be elsewhere at midnight to ensure everyone’s safety.

After his fifth or maybe sixth circuit of the hall, he went over and sat down on the floor, pulling the blanket closer around his shoulders. Leaning against the wall he closed his eyes. Events were spiralling completely out of his control and there was nothing he could do except sit and wait. He hated being so helpless.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end game as midnight is approaching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted early as a Christmas gift, with a special mention for Blue_Night, Finduilas88 and LegendaryBritinKinlor because they have been so supportive!

He must have dozed a bit because the next thing he knew was that someone was shaking him gently.

Opening his eyes he was amazed to see Bodie crouched in front of him, looking concerned.

“Bodie? How did you get here? They told me the roads were blocked.”

With his usual wry smile Bodie nodded. “Yeah, they are. But while we were waiting to see how Sean was doing the rescue chopper landed again. I knew the pilot and when I explained that I needed to find you, he agreed to drop me here on his way back to base.”

His heart leapt at the mention of his lover. “Sean? How is he?”

“He’s doing fine. They have him connected up to all sorts of monitors but it doesn’t look like a heart attack. They think it was just a really bad case of indigestion with a panic attack thrown in for good measure.”

“Indigestion?”

“Yep. Too much cake I think they said.”

His words finally filtered through, “A panic attack? About what?”

“The gist of it is that he was worried that he wouldn’t be around to help you later tonight.”

“You’re sure he’s okay?” Lan asked.

Bodie held up one hand in an odd salute. “Scout’s honour.”

“Shit, Bodie, you were never a boy scout.”

“Hey, I’m always prepared for trouble.”

Lan knew his mind wasn’t working as fast as usual and it was taking him ages to sort out what was going on. It was only then that he realised Bodie was alone.

“How did you know where to find us? And where’s Doyle?”

“When we got to your place and there was no one home we phoned Daphne to ask if she knew where you were. Sean had made the hospital phone her because he guessed we would go to her when you weren’t around. She told us where to find Sean and he told me to come and find you. Ray’s waiting with him now, just in case our friend tries something.”

The feeling of relief that Sean was going to be okay hit him hard and Lan found it difficult to speak for a moment or two. Bodie must have realised because he didn’t make a typical snarky comment when Lan mumbled, “It’s good to know he’s okay.”

“How are you doing? You look a bit rough to me.”

“I’m okay, just a bit bruised.”

“So what happened then?”

“We were in one of the caves when it flooded. Well, maybe flooding is too strong a word for it. There was about eighteen inches of water in there which fused the lights. They sent a guide in to get us out. We were standing just by the entrance when a rush of water came out of the cave mouth and pushed us into the road. Then, before we could get to safety, a huge wall of water came rushing down the gorge and took us with it. I ended up down the end of the valley and Sean washed up a bit sooner with a broken arm.”

“No sign of any supernatural activity?”

“Not when we were in the cave but after I’d become separated from Sean, the ghost was in my head, talking to me, telling me I was going to die.” 

“Anything else? Did he claim responsibility for the flooding?”

“Not in so many words but I think he wanted me to believe it was his fault.”

Lan realised he didn’t have a clue what the time was again. “What time is it anyway?”

“A bit before eleven, so there’s still time for him to come back.”

Lan sighed and with a huge amount of effort stood up. “I don’t think he’s going to try anything else this year. He must be knackered with all the effort he put into moving that water around earlier.” 

“I think you’re trying to convince yourself of that, mate.” Bodie rose from his crouch and shook his head, “He’s still out there somewhere and anyway, it might be that he only took advantage of the flooding and let you think it was down to him.”

“I guess so, he’d need huge amounts of power to do that. I heard that nearly six inches of rain fell in less than twenty-four hours. It’s not likely that any ghost could cause that, no matter how powerful.”

Bodie looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, I think you’re right about that but I think he was responsible for the wave of water that swept you both into the road. You saw how he threw those firebombs last year. I think he can control the elements to an extent and water is one of them. He’s had hundreds of years to plan his revenge and build his power.”

Lan was doubtful. “I don’t know...”

Looking around the hall, Lan could see people trying to settle for the night. The lights had been dimmed as much as possible and people had stopped moving around unless it was absolutely necessary. Whereas before the hall had been a hive of activity, now it was quiet with just a few murmured conversations going on.

“I’m going to have to go outside when it gets closer to midnight I can’t risk anyone in here,” Lan said.

“I thought you’d want that.” Bodie nodded. “I’ll find you something warmer to wear and we can take a stroll outside. I still haven’t forgotten that I owe the bastard for hurting Ray last year when he bombed that club.”

“I don’t want to endanger you, Bodie. It’s too risky; let me go alone.” 

“Bollocks to that!” Bodie hissed back at him. “I’d never be able to look Sean or Ray in the eye again if I let anything happen to you that I could have prevented. Anyway he probably won’t come back.”

Lan knew Bodie didn’t believe that last comment, any more than he did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lan zipped up the padded jacket that Bodie had produced from somewhere and stuck his hands in the pockets. He felt warm now and hoped he could stay that way.

Beside him, Bodie said, “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Together they left the hall and walked out into a cold and mostly clear night. As they got further away, the sound of activity around the hall died away. The rain had stopped and a strong wind buffeted them as they walked. Clouds were rushing across the sky, covering the sliver of moon. Soon, the only sound Lan could hear was the wind in the branches of the trees that lined the road, and the pounding of his heart. 

They had gone about a hundred yards when Bodie stopped. “I think we’re far enough away from everything here.”

Lan looked around nervously trying desperately to see into the shifting shadows cast by the trees. “Okay. What time is it?”

“Two minutes to midnight.”

Lan wrapped his arms around himself and stamped his feet as the cold began to penetrate even the jacket he was wearing. He could see his breath frosting the cold air when he exhaled. “Is it me or is it getting colder?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

When Bodie produced his gun from somewhere inside his jacket and Lan had to smile. “I don’t think bullets are going to do a lot of good against a ghost.”

“Shows how much you know. Don’t the legends say that silver bullets are good against werewolves?”

Unconsciously, Lan found himself edging closer to Bodie’s reassuring figure. “Yeah, but he’s a ghost not a bloody werewolf.”

“I know but it still proves that bullets have their uses.”

A sudden prickling sensation on the back of his neck made Lan whirl around. Bodie turned with him and a few feet away, Lan saw a bluish white ball begin to materialise. It was floating around two feet off the ground and as he watched, it began to form slowly into the shape of a man, complete with a full brimmed hat with an extravagant feather.

Bodie moved slightly in front of him and Lan tried to elbow him out of the way. He couldn’t let Bodie take the greater risk. He shouldn’t even be here.

“Do not try to hide behind another, Thomas; you will only add to the sins you have to atone for,” the ghost intoned.

“I’ve told you before, my name isn’t Thomas, I’m Orlando. I have no idea who you are and what Thomas is supposed to have done to you and your family.”

“You are a witch and the bible says that you shall not suffer a witch to live. It also says an eye for an eye. Thomas Hobbes killed my wife and children and I have vowed vengeance on his descendants throughout time. For three hundred years I have performed this sacred task, removing those of his family who bear the taint of witchcraft. You are the last of his line and the most powerful of all. I must fulfil my responsibility, only then will I find peace.” 

“Who are you? Tell us your name so we can find out more about what Thomas Hobbes did to you and your family,” Bodie interrupted.

The ghost looked at him thoughtfully. “Another with the power to see me, how curious. But I discern that you are not descended from that devil Hobbes. How is it you see me then?”

“I’ve no idea but maybe now that you understand that someone not descended from Thomas Hobbes can see you, you’ll accept that Orlando isn’t responsible for the actions of his ancestor.”

“No! He practices witchcraft and he must die like all the others who have tasted my vengeance over the centuries.”

As Lan watched the ghost grew larger, almost as though he was being inflated with air.

“What’s your name?” Bodie insisted.

“Why do you wish to know?”

“So that I can address you correctly. Are you a knight or merely an esquire?”

The ghost puffed up with pride. “Roger Fitzwalter, knight, at your service. I was knighted by King James himself.” 

The ghost made a bow in Bodie’s direction and Lan marvelled that he could talk so normally with Bodie while still promising to kill him.

“Thank you.” Bodie uttered the words at the same time as he pulled a small bottle out of his pocket. He quickly unscrewed the lid and tossed the contents in the direction of the rapidly expanding ghost.

The screech the spectre let out when the liquid touched him, made Lan clap his hand over his ears. 

Fitzwalter expanded even more and then burst like a pricked balloon. A gust of wind ripped through the quiet country lane at almost gale force, knocking Lan flat on his back.

He lay on the ground stunned until Bodie staggered over to him and helped him to sit up. His whole body protested at the abuse it had suffered over the last few hours.

“For fuck’s sake, Bodie, what did you throw at him?” 

“Holy water. I picked it up before we left home today, thought it might come in handy.”

“I’m bloody glad you did.” Lan tried to persuade himself that getting up off the cold and very wet ground would be a good idea.

With Bodie’s help he climbed back to his feet and they headed slowly back to the hall. He was so hoping for warmth and a chance to rest at last.

“You think he’s gone for good?” Lan asked as they made their way along the lane.

“I bloody hope so,” Bodie swore. “I’m hoping he overdid it today, weakening himself enough that we could destroy him for good.”

“Yeah, me too. I would be wonderful not to have to worry about him again.”

“Now that we know his name we can start searching to find out more about him. Then, if he does show up again, we might have some more ammunition to fight him with.”

They walked through the doors into the hall and made their way over to where a couple of camp beds had been set up for them. 

With Bodie’s help, Lan managed to get himself horizontal. “I don’t even want to think about him for a while, I just want to go and get Sean out of the hospital and then go home and maybe stay in bed for a week.”

Next to him, Bodie nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. Go on, go to sleep and first thing in the morning I’ll arrange for us to get out of here.”

“How’re you going to do that?” Lan muttered around a yawn.

“Hey, I can make ghosts explode, it’ll be a piece of cake.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Bodie was as good as his word. A helicopter appeared shortly after first light. They flew over the area where Sean had parked their car the day before and Lan saw that it had been pushed into the cliff face by the torrent of water that had flowed down the Gorge and was wrecked. 

The chopper landed at the small helipad on the roof of the hospital and they were able to make their way quickly inside to where a woman was waiting for them. 

“The people you’re looking for are down one floor in Faraday ward.”

“Thanks, love,” Bodie responded with a smile.

Flustered, the older woman nodded and blushed but didn’t speak again.

Lan looked suspiciously at Bodie, how was he able to make all this happen? Bodie simply returned his look with a smirk.

They arrived at the entrance to the ward just as breakfast did and Bodie grabbed the swing door and held it open for the young woman already struggling with the heavy trolley. “After you, love.”

“Thank you,” she stuttered before heading along the ward.

This time Lan was ready for the response Bodie’s suave manner invited and he laughed. “Jesus, if only they knew you weren’t interested in women.”

“Ah, but how do you know I don’t swing both ways?”

They headed into the ward behind the trolley and were stopped by a rather belligerent ward sister who stood blocking their way. “Who might you two be? And what are you doing on my ward hours before visiting time?”

“We’re here for a patient. His name is Bean and my partner is already with him.”

Recognition dawned and she sniffed. “Oh, so you’re with them. I’ve had to put them in a private room. Your friend demanded it last night. Said that it was something to do with national security and waved an identity card at me. I suppose you have some identification as well?”

Bodie produced his ID card and passed it under her nose. With another sniff she tilted her head. “They’re in room four, just along that way. The doctor has said that Mr Bean can go home this morning.”

Lan knew he was almost bouncing on the spot, he was so anxious to see for himself that Sean was okay. “He’s okay? His heart...?”

“His heart is fine, the doctor thinks it was merely indigestion.” The look she sent his way told Lan what the sister thought of Sean wasting everyone’s time.

“Yeah, but he did have a broken arm that needed to be set,” Bodie interjected as he ignored her look of disdain and took Lan’s arm to pull him away down the hall.

When they reached the room, Bodie stopped Lan from barging in. “Doyle’s in there keeping an eye on Sean so unless you want to end up in a bed beside his, I need to let Doyle know it’s us and that it’s safe to open the door.”

Blinded by his need to see Sean, Lan hadn’t given Doyle’s presence any thought. Muttering, “Sorry,” he stood to one side and let Bodie knock on the door.

“Hey, Ray, it’s me and Lan. Can you let us in?”

There was the sound of a lock being turned and then a familiar face, surrounded by tousled curls peered around the door.

Without regard for Doyle’s toes, Lan pushed the door open and rushed past him into the room. He stopped dead almost immediately, seeing his much loved man sitting on the edge of the bed, his left shirt sleeve cut open to accommodate a plaster cast that extended just past his elbow.

“Sean, are you all right?”

“Much better for seeing you.” Sean started to stand but Lan waved him back down. Mindful of Sean’s injury, Lan went towards him and sat gingerly on the side of the bed away from the cast. He didn’t need Sean to explain who he was talking about when he said, “What happened last night? Did he turn up at midnight?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“What happened?”

“Before he could do anything Bodie threw some Holy Water at him and he vanished.” 

Lan looked around for Bodie, knowing Sean would want to thank him but he was deep in conversation with Doyle.

“Is that all?” Sean’s question drew his attention back.

“Pretty much. Anyway, how are you? The dragon outside said you had scared us all for nothing and it was only indigestion.”

Sean ducked his head in embarrassment. “Yeah, well the doctor said that I’d probably eaten too much cake and then being chucked around in the water set me off. They did some tests and my heart’s fine. Then they set my arm and it doesn’t even hurt much. Just aches a bit. It’s a bitch though when I get an itch inside the cast.”

Lan leant closer to Sean and whispered in his ear. “It’s good job it’s your left hand because I’m not holding it for you when you need to take a piss.”

Using his good hand, Sean pulled Lan even closer and whispered back. “That’s okay, I think I can manage pissing I might need help with other things though. You up for that?”

Despite his bruises and exhaustion, Lan felt parts of his anatomy react to Sean’s words – not that it was ever any different. “I’m always up for that, I’ll demonstrate when we get home if you like.” Leaning forward he kissed Sean briefly, aware that they weren’t alone in the room.

“I’m looking forward to it. Just as soon as you get some sleep and stop looking like death warmed up.”

Doyle spoke up. “Bodie’s filled me in on what happened last night, so how about we get back to your place so that we can all catch up on some sleep?”

Around a yawn, Lan said, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Sean stood and started gathering his few possessions together but was stopped by Doyle who took over the task. “It’s okay, let me do it.”

Sean acknowledged his help with a wave. “How are we going to get there? Our car’s still parked at the gorge.”

“Ah, Sean, we saw the car on our way here and I think it’s a write off. It had been smashed into the cliff face by the force of the water,” Lan answered.

“Shit! I wonder if our insurance will cover it?”

“Does it really matter?” Bodie asked as he held the door open for them to leave the room. “You’re both alive and we’ve found out the bastard’s name which is bound to make tracking down the story a bit easier.”

Sean stopped and looked around at Bodie. “What? You found out the ghost’s name?”

Bodie nodded. “Yeah. Sir Roger Fitzwalter, he said his name was. We just need to track him down and get someone to do an exorcism or something to get rid of him for once and for all before next year’s Halloween.”

“God, I hope so,” Sean said.

They walked towards the exit of the ward, past the sister who ignored them pointedly. Lan let the others get a little in front of him on their way to the lift. He couldn’t explain why but he had the feeling that Fitzwalter wasn’t going to be that easy to get rid of. He’d spent around three hundred years working on his revenge; it couldn’t be as easy as an exorcism.

He suddenly felt a cold shiver run down his spine and a spectral voice whispered in his ear. “You are living in my demesne now, Thomas. Knowing my name will not allow you to rid yourself of me easily. Your death is the only thing that will satisfy me and next year I will be at my strongest for a century.” 

Ignoring the mocking laugh that followed him along the corridor, Lan hurried to catch up to the others, worrying what next year would bring.


End file.
